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Digicool Question

Those that have these with the standard velcro sensors:

How well do these ones fit around a 3/8" or smaller line? Does the extra lenght of velcro get in the way?
I found that the velcro type with my fluke 116 is a PITA when attatching to discharge lines...never gets tight enough with the velcro and have to allways hold pressure on it to get a good reading.

Just wondering if this is the same instance here or not.
Having to buy the spring clamps brings the price up another notch.

How well do these ones fit around a 3/8" or smaller line? Does the extra lenght of velcro get in the way?
I found that the velcro type with my fluke 116 is a PITA when attatching to discharge lines...never gets tight enough with the velcro and have to allways hold pressure on it to get a good reading.

Just wondering if this is the same instance here or not.
Having to buy the spring clamps brings the price up another notch.

The velcro strap doesn't even work well on the suction line. I mounted the sensor in an old Fluke clamp using two part epoxy. I drilled a hole in the side, just above the jaws, to run the sensor out of the body of the clamp, and then mounted the sensor where the old sensor used to be. I used a drill bit to round out the receptacle and to recess the sensor so that only about a fourth of it is exposed. I also epoxied over the short wire bend between the jaws and the hole that I drilled to prevent damage to the lead.

The Fluke 116 strap-on sensor is for use on larger pipes that a clamp won't typically work on.

Straps pretty much suck regardless of whether they fit the pipe or not. That's the reason we have about four of the Cooper 3 port digital thermometers gathering dust. They are accurate, but a PITA to use.

FWIW, for a quick fix you can go to HD or LOWE's or any hardware store and buy a cheap plastic clamp with rubber pads on the jaws to hold the sensor to the line. Doesn't have to be permanently mounted to the clamp. Then use the strap to insulate around it. I've seen those clamps for as little as two dollars.

The temp probes have kept me from buying the newer model. They suck. I was hoping for a vast improvement, but by looking at the pictures of the newer ones, I am not sure we are there yet. I use the gauges all the time and have experimented with several different types of clamps and such with the probes, but for now I'll just use my Fluke stuff to get the temps.

The temp probes have kept me from buying the newer model. They suck. I was hoping for a vast improvement, but by looking at the pictures of the newer ones, I am not sure we are there yet. I use the gauges all the time and have experimented with several different types of clamps and such with the probes, but for now I'll just use my Fluke stuff to get the temps.

I love the gauges and my modified Fluke clamp. I haven't had any of my other 4 manifolds out of the van since I bought the digi-cool. But it's about to get used a lot less. I'm going to the gauge-on-the-end-of-a-hose trick that some of the guys here are using. It occured to me that I don't need a manifold at all! You can put your core removal tool inline with the short hose and use the tap on the side to add or remove refrigerant. I ordered a set of the solar powered YJ gauges for this purpose. I hope I can find room in the Veto for them. Be here in a week or so. I'll let you guys know what I think after I've run a few calls with them.